Terms and Conditions Apply
by whirlwinds of watercolours
Summary: Lily pleads for James to stop bullying Severus - but James has a condition. For the first time, Lily gives him a chance. Just one.


**Title: Terms and Conditions Apply**

**Summary: Lily pleads for James to stop bullying Severus - but James has a condition. For the first time, Lily gives him a chance. Just one.**

**Author: Memento Vivere**

**Rating: K plus**

**Word Count: 1032**

**A/N: Written for PoisonParadiseExpress's James/Lily Challenge, inspired by Prepare to be Unstuck: The Ultimate Way To Kill Writer's Block.**

**Hope you enjoy this! Probably set somewhere in their fifth year, before Lily and Severus end their friendship.**

* * *

"Evans, wait up!"

Lily Evans ignored the desperate, pleading calls as she stalked across the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, fuming mad.

The reason for her anger, of course, was one pain in the neck by the name of James Potter.

After their afternoon classes that day, Potter had taken upon himself to dangle Severus by the ankle above the Black Lake, then proceeded to drop him right where the Giant Squid was lazing in the afternoon sun, much to the amusement of almost the entire population of the school – all for his own entertainment.

Needless to say, Severus emerged from the water soaking wet with torn and battered robes, a murderous look on his face and a wand pointing in the direction of Potter. If Lily had not intervened at the last moment, Severus would have killed Potter right there and then. Although Lily did admit Potter deserved a hex – or maybe a few – for his previous pranks, reducing him to a pile of ashes was a bit too much.

Deep in her thoughts, Lily did not notice James Potter, with his bigger stride and faster walking pace, catching up with her.

"Evans!"

Lily flinched as a hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her from making a quick getaway. She spun around, glowering at the very last person she wanted to see right now.

"What do you want, Potter?"

She expected him to look at least apologetic, but instead, to her surprise and annoyance, he merely laughed. "Why so harsh, little lioness?" he asked teasingly, reaching out to play with a few stray strands of her hair.

"You know why," Lily spat, stepping a few feet away from Potter, jerking her shoulder out of reach. One of the many reasons why she absolutely hated James Potter was his belief that the world revolved around him and his over-sized ego. Another one was him seizing every chance he got to bully Severus.

Thankfully, one of the rare redeeming qualities was the fact that he knew when he crossed a line. "I'm sorry, alright?" Potter held up both of his hands in the gesture of surrender upon seeing the fierce glare Lily gave him. "Do I have the honour of earning the great Lily Evan's forgiveness?"

"No," Lily answered firmly, resolved not to fall for his infamous charms again, as she had done so many, many times in the past. Potter looked crestfallen.

"Oh, what am I going to do? She refuses to give me a chance!" Potter cried dramatically, back to his carefree self. Lily resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes. Another annoying quality about him was his easygoing nature, which meant whatever offensive things Lily commented about him would just bounce off his extremely thick skin.

"The _only _way," Lily stressed on the word 'only', "is for you to stop bullying Severus."

As expected, Potter shook his head. "No can do, m'lady," he said regretfully. "A go at Snivellus is too good to pass up," he added playfully, earning a smack on the arm from Lily.

"Oh, would you stop it, you arrogant toe-rag!" she exclaimed in anguish, thoroughly irritated at Potter.

Unlike her, Potter remained calm, looking straight into her eyes. Lily shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare, feeling a slight blush creep up her cheeks. Although she hated and on most days refused to admit it, she had a small – _small – _crush on James Potter.

This was not right.

Yet… it did not feel wrong, either.

It started in their third year. Lily could still recall the memory clearly, even though it had been a good two years since it happened.

_"I don't understand. How could you associate yourself with… with people like them?"_

_Severus glanced behind his shoulder, where his Slytherin friends sat in the grass talking to one another and clearly within earshot. He turned back to Lily, composing his face into a cold sneer._

_"It's none of your business of who he associates with, Mudblood," one of his friends spoke up before Severus could, laughing. "After all, who'll want to be associated with you?"_

_His words stung, and Lily could feel her temper rising. How could he call her the term 'Mudblood'? It was downright rude to those of Muggle-born heritage! Much to her dismay, Severus did not tell off his friends, or attempt to defend her at all. He merely stared at her coldly, a look of boredom on his face._

_"How-how could you?" Lily asked, hurt at his indifferent attitude. "I thought we were friends!"_

_A look of something – regret? – flashed across his face briefly before disappearing. Could it be a trick of light?_

_"I'm sure you don't deserve the friendship of someone like Evans, Snivellus," a cool voice cut in from behind, interrupting her from speaking again. Lily turned around, and saw the hard and determined face of James Potter. A flash of hatred crossed Severus's face, and that was definitely no trick of light. He turned back to his friends, giving Lily the cold shoulder._

_"Are you alright, Evans?" Lily looked up into the now concerned face of James Potter. She nodded slightly, and he sighed in relief. "I heard what they called you."_

_"I'm fine," she assured him. "It's no big deal."_

_Potter smiled again and went back to talking to his friends, but Lily was still frowning to herself._

_She turned around to cast one more glance at the gang of jeering Slytherins._

Back in the present, Potter seemed to reach his decision after a long time of thinking. He grimaced, before speaking out the next words in a calm, albeit reluctant, voice. "I'll try, I really will, Evans. But I have one condition."

"What is it?" Lily asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had a feeling she knew what the condition was.

However, to her surprise, she no longer felt the revulsion she usually felt whenever he asked her the previous times. Perhaps it was because James Potter was finally looking at her with utter seriousness while asking, unlike all those other times. Since he really looked that desperate, Lily would give him one chance, for Severus. Just one.

"Date me."

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**Like? Hate?**

**~Avelin**


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